Cherry-pitter.



No. 663,792. Patented Dec. II, I900. E. H. SKINNEB.

CHERRY PITTER.

' (Application filed Oct. 16, 1899.) '(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet II.

/% ATTORNEYS m: NORRIS PETER$ cc, moroumo. WASHINGTON, a. c.

No. 663,792. Patented Doe. II, I900. E. H. SKIN-NEE.

CHERRY PITTEB. (Application filed Oct. 16, 1899.) (No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES.

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T T FFICE.

EDWARD H. SKINNER, OF SPRINGBROOK, OREGON.

CHERRY-PITTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,792, dated December1 1, 1900.

Application filed OOtOber 16, 1399.

T0 aJ/Z whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD I-I. SKINNER, of Springbrook, in the countyof Yam hill and State of Oregon, have' invented a new and ImprovedCherry-Fitter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in devices for pitting cherriesand similar fruits, and comprises the novel features hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of the machine. Fig. 2 is anelevation of the opposite side. of the machine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectionalelevation taken on the line 4 at of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective Viewof the cam-arm by which the lower brush is operated, and Fig. 6 is adetail view showing the arrangement of the spring which acts upon thepitter-belt and hereinafter more particularly described.

The object of my invention is to produce a device which shall pitcherries and similar fruit in large quantities, so that it may beeconomically used for pitting such fruit to be canned on a commercialscale.

Upon a suitable framework A are mounted two rollers or wheels B and B,placed at opposite ends of the frame and about which passes an endlessbelt composed of the two chains D, which are connected by boards orplates D. These boards or plates D are provided with upwardly-flaringapertures d,

' which are made of such a size at the small end that the smallest fruitwith which the device is to be used cannot drop through the same and yetlarge enough at the upper or large end to receive the largest fruit withwhich'the device is to be used.

Although my device is herein described as used for pitting cherries, itis not to be strictly limited to such use, as it is evident that it maybe used in pitting any other suitable kind of fruit.

Located upon the frame intermediate the two rollers B and B is a shaft0, which extends across the machine parallel with the shafts of therollers B and B. This shaft journaled so that it may turn. is given arotary movement, which by the or within the hopper H. back into thehopper any cherries which may Serial No. 733,783. (No model.)

has upon each end thereof a sprocket-wheel O", the sprockets of whichare adapted to engage with the central portion of the endless belts D,so as to communicate motion thereto and at the same time to raise thesame a little above the straight line between the upper edges of therollers B and B. This produces an inclined section of the belt, as shownat the right in Fig. 3. About the edges of this portion of the belt isconstructed a hopper H, within which is placed a quantity of the fruitto be pitted.

The shaft 0 is rotated by means of suitable mechanism, so as to causethe belt to travel up said incline or in the direction of the arrowshown in Fig. 3. The body of the belt is composed of the plates orboards D", which are secured to the chains D by means of pivots locatedat the forward edge of the plates. This permits the plates when theypass over the roller B to drop down to a horizontal position and thus tojar off any fruit which may have become jammed in the apertures cl ofthe plates. As the belt travels up the incline the apertures in theplates fill with the cherries.

In order to prevent any cherries being carried over the upper end of theincline excepting such as are in the apertures in the plates, a brush Fis provided, which is mounted above the upper portion of the incline andextends across the same, said brush being This brush mechanism hereinshown is of an intermittent nature, so as to sweep the upper surface ofthe belt in the direction of down the incline be upon the belt and whichare not held in place thereon by being within the apertures d in thebelts D.

A pitting device is provided, which next operates upon the cherries.This device is constructed as follows: Upon suitable standards A, whichextend upward from each side of the machine adjacent to the upper end ofthe incline, is mounted to slide a frame consisting of the two sidemembers I, which are connected by means of the pitter-bar L. The frame,comprising the members I, slides upon the standards A as upon guides andis pro- This brush carries vided with two horizontal slots I, placed onein eachhalf of the frame. Through these slots passes the central portionof a shaft J, provided with crank-arms J 3 at each end thereof and whichis journaled in the frame, as shown at J in Fig. 4.. One end of theshaft J is provided with a crank J by which it may be turned. This shaftmay, if desired, be provided with a pulley and turned by a belt from anysuitable source of power.

The pitter-bar L extends across the machine and above the upper run ofthe belt and is provided with aseries of downwardlyextending rods orpins L, which are suitably shaped at their lower ends to engage the pitsof the cherries and force them out when the pinsare forced downward. Asthe crank J is turned the frame I and pitter-bar L are moved up anddown. The pins L are of such length that when the frame moves downwardthey will pass through the apertures in the plates D, forming the bodyof the belt. The apertures in said plates being filled with cherries,the pits of the cherries are engaged by the ends of the pitter rods orpins and forced downward through the apertures. The size of theapertures is gaged to correspond with the size of the pits, so that thepits may pass through, but the meat portion of the cherry will remainbehind. When the pitter-bar rises, the cherries are freed from thepitter rods or pins by means of a clearing-plate O, which is providedWith apertures receiving the lower ends of the pitter-rods and issupported upon a spring 0 from the pitter-bar L. This clearing-plate isnormally held flush with or' below the lower ends of the pitter-rods.Being supported upon the spring 0 it will readily yield when it comes incontact with the cherries and permit the. pitter-rods to readily passthrough the cherries.

When the pitter-bar and the rods carried thereby rise, the plate 0 willengage the pit ted cherries and prevent their rising. As a consequencethe cherries are left upon the belt, and as the belt proceeds in itstravel it passes over the roller B. As it does so the pivoted plates Dare engaged by a spring M, (see Fig. 6,) attached at its upper end tothe frame of the machine and bearing at its free end beneath the belt D,so that when the belt passes over the roller B the spring is bent down(see Fig. 6) as the plates D of the belt reach the notch M in thehopper, the contact of said plates with the wall of said notch jarringthe plates sufficiently to loosen the cherries and discharge them fromthe belt, such cherries as may not be discharged being jarred from theplates by the contact of the latter, aided by the action of the spring Mwith a projection A on the frame of the machine as the belt continuesits travel. A'suitable receptacle is provided beneath this end of themachine, in which the cherries are deposited.

The brush F is operated from the Wheels C by means of pulley-wheels Fand F upon the shafts of the brush and the wheel 0 and a belt F whichconnects said pulley-wheels. Upon the other end of the shaft 0 is placeda ratchet-wheel K, which is engaged to turn the shaft by means of apawl-bar K, which is supported from and reciprocates with the frame I.The pawl-bar is held in engage.- ment with the ratchet-wheel by means ofa spring K which is secured to the upper end thereof. Each reciprocationof the frame of the pitter-bar thus causes the ratchet-wheel K and theshaft C, to which it is attached, to be given a partial rotation inamount equal to the distance between consecutive teeth upon the wheel K.

A brush E is mounted beneath the belts D and engages the lower surfacethereof immediately beneath the pitter-bar, so as to insure the removalof the pits from the belts. This brush is mounted upon arms E',which inturn are supported upon a bar E, which extends across the machine and ismounted to slide lengthwise of the machine within guides e formed in theframe. The ends of bar E project beyond the sides of the frame and areengaged by means of the cam-bar N, which is shown in perspective in Fig.5. This bar is carried by the vertically-reciprocating frame I and isprovided with an incline e, which engages the' ends of the bar E Thebrush E is therefore g'rven a'reciprocating movement under the belt ateach reciprocation of the frame I.

In order to support the under side of the belts and prevent sagging, thebelts D are supported upon guide bars D which are formed as a part ofthe frame. 7

With this machine it is possible to rapidly pit cherries and thus tomake it possible to pit cherries when put up for commercial purposes.The movement of the chain, it will be observed, is intermittent, beingin amount equal each time to the width of one of the plates D.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a pitter,the combination of an endless belt, having a series of plates pivotedthereto, and adapted to turn on their pivots as the belt makes a turn atone end, the said plates being provided with apertures adapted means formoving said belt, means for removing the pits from the fruit, while inthe apertures in the plates and a stop arranged on the frame to arrestthe plates in their outward movement and jar the fruit therefrom,substantially as described.

3. In a cherry-pitter, the combination of an endless belt having aseries of plates hinged thereto by one edge, and provided with flaringapertures adapted to receive the cherries, and means for moving saidbelt, means for turning each plate upon its pivot as the belt makes aturn at one end, whereby the cherries are jarred free from the plates, aseries of pitting rods or pins, and means for moving said rods or pinsto pass them through the apertures in said plates whereby the pits areremoved from the cherries, substantially as described.

4. In a cherry-pitter, the combination of an endless belt having aseries of plates hinged thereto by one edge, and having flaringapertures adapted to receive the cherries, means for moving said belt, aspring engaging each plate to swing it upon its pivot as the belt makesa turn at one end and a stop against which the plates are thrown toproduce a slight shock, whereby the cherries are freed from the plate,with a series of pitting rods or pins, and means for moving said rods orpins to pass them through the apertures in said plates, whereby the pitsare removed from the cherries, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a belt having fruitreceiving apertures therein, areciprocating frame carrying pitting devices for removing the pits fromthe fruit, a reciprocating brush movable lengthwise of the belts beneaththe upper run thereof, and means carried by the vertically-reciprocatingpitting-frame to operate said brush, substantially as described.

6. In a pitter for cherries and similar fruits, the combination of abelt having fruit-receiving apertures, a pitting-frame provided withmeans for forcing the pits through the apertures, a reciprocating brushmovable in a longitudinal direction beneath the upper run of the belt,and a vertically-movable cam or cams carried by the pitting-frame, tooperate said brush, substantially as described.

7. In a cherry-pitter, the combination of an endless belthaving a seriesof plates hinged thereto by one edge, and provided with flaringfruit-receiving apertures, means for moving said belt, means for turningeach plate upon its pivot as the belt makes a turn at one end and a stopagainst which the plates are thrown, whereby the cherries are jarredfree from the plates, with a series of pitting rods or pins, means formoving said rods or pins to pass them through the apertures in saidplates, and a brush provided with means for moving it in engagement withthe under side of said plates to secure the removal of the pits,substantially as described.

8. In a pitter, the combination of an endless belt having a series ofplates pivoted thereto and adapted to turn on their pivots as the beltmakes a turn at one end, the said plates being provided with aperturesadapted to receive the fruit, means for moving said. belt, apitting-frame moving in correspondence with the belt and carryingpitting rods or pins for removing the pits from the fruit, aclearing-plate for clearing the fruit from the pitting-rods, means forjarring the plates, to remove the fruit therefrom, a reciprocating brushmovable beneath the upper run of the belt, and means carried by thepittingframe, to operate said brush, substantially as described.

9. In a cherry-pitter, the combination of a belt having flaringfruit-receiving apertures therein, pitting rods or pins, means forreciprocating said rods or pins through said apertures, with a brushextending across and contacting with the under side of the belt near thepitting-rods, a bar supporting said brush, guides in which the said baris mounted to slide lengthwise of the belt, and means for moving saidbar in the guides to reciprocate said brush, substantially as described.

10. In a cherry-pitter, the combination of an endless belt comprisingchains connected by plates hinged at one edge to the chains, the saidplates having flaring fruit-receiving apertures therein, rollers overwhich said belt passes, a shaft located between the rollers and belowthe upper run of the belt, sprocketwheels on said shaft and engaging thechains, the said wheels serving to give an upward inclination to theupper run of the belt from one end toward the center, a bottomlesshopper above the inclined portion of the belt, a brush extending acrossthe belt where it leaves the hopper, and means foractuatin g the brushto brush into the hopper, with pitting rods or pins just beyond thebrush means for reciprocating the pitting rods or pins to cause them toproject through the apertures in the belt, and a reciprocating brushmovable beneath the upper run of the belt substantially as described.

11. A cherry-pitter, comprising a movable belt having flaringfruit-receivin g holes therein, a vertically-reciprocating pitter-frame,a pitter-bar carrier by said frame and having rods or pins thereinadapted to pass through said holes, means for reciprocating thepitterbar, a brush extending transversely beneath the belt and thepitter-bar, and mounted to slide lengthwise of the belt, arms upon whichsaid brush is mounted, a bar supporting said armsand eXt-endingacrossthemachine,guides formed in the frame and in which the said bar is mountedto slide, and cam-bars carried by the vertically-reciprocatingpitter-frame and having inclines engaging the ends of the brush-carryingbar, substantially as described.

12. A cherry-pitter comprising a movable belt having fruit-receivingapertures, a pitting-frame having a bar carrying devices adapted toenter the cherries and force the pits through the apertures, a brush forbrushtherewith for reciprocating said brush, substantially as described.I

EDWARD H. SKINNER. Witnesses:

MAY E. LAMB, J. O. COLOORD.

